Tempest Seafood Restaurant & Teppanyaki

Tempest Seafood Restaurant is Scarborough’s hidden treasure – a rustic waterfront restaurant dishing up some of the best seafood dishes in South East Queensland. 

Housed in a weather-beaten boathouse overlooking the marina, Tempest offers a true trawler to plate experience with fresh, quality seafood sourced directly from the local fishermen moored out front. 

While the ambience is charmingly seaside casual (no need to dress up in finery), the food here is absolutely top notch and worth a trip up from Brisbane just for the dining experience.

A wraparound deck offers plenty of waterfront seating or there’s a spacious air-conditioned dining room inside with a feature oyster wall and aquarium tanks housing live lobsters and crabs, plus a Teppanyaki room which is a hive of lively action most evenings. 

Tempest's internationally-trained Teppanyaki chefs transform the grill into a stage when preparing a feast using the best, local seafood and produce. Tempest Teppanyaki is open for dinner seven nights a week and lunch from Wednesday to Sunday.

But it’s hard to beat sitting on the deck gazing at the water, boats and distant view of the Glasshouse Mountains, tucking into whole king prawns that just a couple of hours ago were swimming in the ocean, or indulging in a seafood platter piled with prawns, natural oysters, oysters Kilpatrick, calamari, Moreton Bay bugs, lobster mornay, miso bugs, baked salmon, grilled scallops, and more. 

Seafood entrees include natural oysters with lemon wedges or Kilpatrick (bacon, tabasco and Worcestershire), seared garlic prawns, flash-fried calamari, and miso Moreton Bay bugs.  

Mouth-watering mains to try are the restaurant's signature dishes such as Seafood Assiette (creamy miso Moreton Bay bug, garlic prawns, petit salmon fillet and grilled scallops served with thick cut chips and salad), Steamed Barramundi and Mussels with mushrooms and bok choy in red curry broth, and Reef & Beef - sirloin steak topped with sumptuous seafood, seasonal greens and creamy potato mash.

Decadent desserts range from Crème Brûlée (rich custard base, crisp burnt sugar crust, praline crumb, berries and chantilly cream), and deconstructed Apple Crumble (caramelised apples, shortbread crumb, brandy custard, strawberries and vanilla bean ice-cream) to Lindt Chocolate Torte (flourless chocolate torte, Lindt chocolate, meringue soil, strawberry dust and vanilla ice cream) and warm  Sticky Date Pudding with rum toffee sauce and ice-cream.

To accompany there’s an impressive wine list and, for a great starter, kick back on the deck with a cold beer or house cocktail like a Lychee Martini, Ginger Mint Julep, or Tequila Mockingbird (tequila, blue curacao, cointreau, cranberry and orange juice).

Nice to know – Children are very welcome at Tempest and have their own dedicated menu which ranges from Fish & Chips or Calamari & Chips to Chicken Nuggets and Pasta with tomato and cheese.  

Need to know – There’s plenty of free off-street parking outside the restaurant and good ramp access for wheelchairs and prams.

The menu may have changed since our visit.